9737 

B82fc> 


PERSONAL  NARRATIVES 


War  of  the  Rebellion, 


No.  G. —  Second  Series. 


PERSONAL  NARRATIVES 


OF  EVENTS  IN  THE 


War  of  the  Rebellion, 


BEING  PAPERS  READ  BEFORE  THE 


RHODE  ISLAND  SOLDIERS  AND  SAILORS 
HISTORICAL  SOCIETY. 


No.  6  — Second  Series. 


PROVIDENCE  : 

N.  BANGS  WILLIAMS  &  COMPANY. 
1882= 


Copyright  by 
N.  BANGS  WILLIAMS, 


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PROVIDENCE  PRESS  COMPANY,  PRINTERS. 


THE 


BURNSIDE  EXPEDITION. 


AMBROSE  E.  BURNSIDE. 


LATE  MAJOR-GENERAL,  UNITED  STATES  ARMY. 


PROVIDENCE: 

N.  BANGS  WILLIAMS  &  COMPANY. 

1  8  82. 


Copyright  by 
N.  BANGS  WILLIAMS. 


1882 


113.1 

Bli¬ 


the  BURNSIDE  EXPEDITION. 


[Read  before  the  Society,  July  7,  1880.] 


The  paper  which  I  am  about  to  read  to  you  was 
hastily  prepared  last  fall,  to  be  read  to  a  literary  so¬ 
ciety  iu  a  neighboring  town.  Some  of  our  comrades 
were  present  at  the  meeting  at  which  it  was  read, 
and  exacted  from  me  a  promise  that  it  should  be 
given  to  our  society  for  publication.  As  I  before 
said,  it  was  hastily  prepared,  and  I  asked  some  time 
to  revise  it,  before  having  it  published  ;  but  up  to 
this  moment  I  have  not  found  the  time,  and  must 
read  it  to  you  in  its  original  form. 

Soon  after  the  First  Rhode  Island  regiment  was 
mustered  out  of  service,  I  was  appointed  by  Presi¬ 
dent  Lincoln  to  the  office  of  brigadier-general.  My 
commission  was  given  to  me  on  the  sixth  of  Au¬ 
gust,  1861,  and  I  was  ordered  to  report  to  General 

* 


6 


THE  BURNSIDE  EXPEDITION. 


McClellan,  who  placed  me  in  charge  of  the  division 
and  brigades  which  were  formed  of  the  new  troops 
as  they  arrived  in  Washington.  My  duty  was  to 
look  after  the  drill  and  discipline  of  these  brigades, 
with  a  view  to  giving  the  men  the  efficiency  neces¬ 
sary  for  assignment  to  the  older  divisions  of  the 
army,  which  were  then  organizing  in  Washington 
under  the  name  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  The 
duty  was  interesting  in  some  respects,  but  was  in 
the  main  somewhat  tame,  so  that  I  very  naturally 
desired  more  active  duty. 

One  evening  in  the  following  October,  General 
McClellan  and  I  were  chatting  together  over  the 
affairs  of  the  war,  when  I  mentioned  to  him  a  plan 
that  I  had  given  some  thought  to  for  the  formation 
of  a  coast  division.  After  giving  him  a  somewhat 
detailed  account  of  the  plan,  he  asked  me  to  put  it 
in  writing  as  soon  as  possible,  which  was  done.  The 
next  day  it  was  presented  to  him,  and  it  met  his  ap¬ 
proval.  He  laid  it  before  the  Secretary  of  War,  by 
whom  it  was  also  approved.  The  general  details 
of  the  plan  were  briefly  as  follows  :  To  organize  a 
division  of  from  twelve  to  fifteen  thousand  men, 


THE  BURNSIDE  EXPEDITION. 


7 


mainly  from  states  bordering  on  the  northern  sea- 
coast,  many  of  whom  would  be  familiar  with  the  coast¬ 
ing  trade,  and  among  whom  would  be  found  a  goodly 
number  of  mechanics,  to  fit  out  a  fleet  of  light- 
draught  steamers,  sailing  vessels  and  barges,  large 
enough  to  transport  the  division,  its  armament  and 
supplies,  so  that  it  could  be  rapidly  thrown  from 
point  to  point  on  the  coast  with  a  view  to  establish¬ 
ing  lodgments  on  the  southern  coast,  landing  troops, 
and  penetrating  into  the  interior,  thereby  threaten¬ 
ing  the  lines  of  transportation  in  the  rear  of  the 
main  army  then  concentrating  in  Virginia,  and  hold 
possession  of  the  inland  waters  on  the  Atlantic 
coast. 

After  the  approval  of  the  plan  I  was  ordered  to 
New  York  to  fit  out  the  fleet ;  and  on  the  twenty- 
third  of  October,  orders  were  issued  establishing 
my  headquarters  for  the  concentration  of  the  troops 
of  the  division  at  Annapolis.  The  headquarters  for 
the  fitting  out  of  the  fleet  were  established  at  No.  7 
Bowling  Green,  New  York.  Troops  arrived  from 
time  to  time  at  Annapolis,  and  all  went  well  in  the 
camp,  which  was  established  on  beautiful  grounds 


8 


THE  BURNSIDE  EXPEDITION. 


just  outside  of  the  town.  The  improvement  in  drill 
and  discipline  was  very  rapid,  but  affairs  did  not 
progress  so  smoothly  at  the  headquarters  in  New 
York.  There  was  great  difficulty  in  procuring  ves¬ 
sels  of  a  light  draught,  almost  everything  of  that 
sort  having  been  already  called  into  service ;  but 
after  much  difficulty  I  was  enabled  to  report  to  Gen¬ 
eral  McClellan  on  the  twelfth  of  September  that  a 
sufficient  amount  of  transportation  and  armament 
had  been  secured  for  the  division.  It  was  a  motley 
fleet.  North  river  barges  and  propellers  had  been 
strengthened  from  deck  to  keelson  by  heavy  oak 
planks,  and  water-tight  compartments  were  built  in 
them.  The}7  were  so  arranged  that  parapets  of 
sand-bags  or  bales  of  hay  could  be  built  upon  their 
decks,  and  each  one  carried  from  four  to  six  guns. 
Sailing  vessels,  formerly  belonging  to  the  coasting 
trade,  had  been  fitted  up  in  the  same  manner.  Sev¬ 
eral  large  passenger  steamers,  which  were  guaran¬ 
teed  to  draw  less  than  eight  feet  of  water,  together 
with  tug  and  ferry-boats,  served  to  make  up  the 
fleet,  which  gave  a  capacity  to  transport  fifteen  thou¬ 
sand  troops,  with  baggage,  camp  equipage,  rations, 


THE  BURNSIDE  EXPEDITION. 


9 


etc.  Light-draught  sailing  vessels  were  also  added 
to  the  fleet,  on  which  were  stored  building  material 
for  bridges,  rafts,  scows,  entrenching  implements, 
quartermasters’  stores,  tools,  extra  ordnance,  stores, 
etc.,  all  of  which  were  ordered  to  rendezvous  at 
Fortress  Monroe.  Coal  and  water  vessels  were 
chartered  in  Baltimore,  and  ordered  to  rendezvous 
at  the  same  place.  The  transports  were  ordered  to 
Annapolis  harbor,  at  which  point,  after  most  morti¬ 
fying  and  vexatious  delays,  they  all  arrived  by  the 
fourth  of  January,  1862,  and  on  this  day,  orders 
were  promulgated  for  embarkation,  which  were  re¬ 
ceived  from  one  end  of  the  camp  to  the  other  with 
most  enthusiastic  cheers. 

I  had  organized  the  division  into  three  brigades, 
which  were  placed  in  command  of  General  G.  Fos¬ 
ter,  General  Jesse  L.  Reno  and  General  John  G. 
Parke,  three  of  my  most  trusted  friends.  We  had 
been  cadets  at  West  Point  together,  and  I  had  al¬ 
ways  entertained  for  them  the  greatest  confidence 
and  esteem  ;  so  that  you  can  well  imagine  my  grati¬ 
fication  at  having  my  request  for  their  detail  granted. 
In  all  future  operations  in  the  expedition,  our  close 


10 


THE  BURNSIDE  EXPEDITION. 


friendly  relations  were  maintained,  and  I  was  never 
disappointed  in  any  reliance  which  I  placed  on  their 
gallantry,  skill  and  integrity.  It  may  be  well  to 
state  here  that  I  had  been  notified  by  General 
McClellan  that  our  destination  would  be  Hatteras 
Inlet,  with  a  view  to  operations  in  the  inland  waters 
of  North  Carolina.  This  order  was  afterwards  for¬ 
mulated  in  an  order  supplemented  to  this  paper. 

On  the  fifth  of  January  the  troops  began  to  em¬ 
bark.  During  that  day  there  were  some  delays 
which  resulted  from  inexperience  in  the  maneuvering 
of  the  vessels  and  in  the  new  work  to  which  they 
were  unaccustomed.  On  that  night,  snow  to  the  ex¬ 
tent  of  from  two  to  three  inches  fell,  which  gave  to 
the  camp  and  surrounding  country,  on  the  morn¬ 
ing  of  the  sixth,  a  most  picturesque  appearance. 
Regiment  after  regiment  struck  their  tents  and 
marched  to  the  point  of  embarkation,  with  bands 
playing,  colors  flying  and  the  men  cheering  and  sing¬ 
ing  from  lightness  of  heart.  The  lines  of  troops, 
with  their  dark  uniforms  and  glittering  bayonets, 
contrasted  markedly  with  the  snow-clad  fields  and 
trees,  as  they  passed  through  the  quaint  old  town  of 


THE  BURNSIDE  EXPEDITION. 


11 


Annapolis,  the  inhabitants  of  which  at  that  very  day 
were  not  remarkable  for  their  loyalty.  The  men 
were  not  cheered  and  encouraged  by  many  friendly 
voices,  such  as  they  had  heard  whilst  coming  from 
their  homes  to  the  seat  of  war ;  but  they  were  not 
at  all  chilled  by  the  reception,  and  cheerfully 
marched  on  to  the  work  before  them.  Embarkation 
had  become  more  easy  to  each  regiment  than  it  was 
to  the  preceding  one,  owing  to  the  greater  facility 
with  which  the  vessels  were  handled.  The  order  to 
break  camp  had  been  obeyed  with  joyful  alacrity, 
and  more  troops  poured  into  the  Academy  grounds 
during  the  day  than  could  be  embarked,  so  that 
large  numbers  remained  there  for  the  night.  This 
bivouac  was  one  of  the  most  enlivening  and  beauti¬ 
ful  that  I  saw  during  the  war.  There  was  very  lit¬ 
tle  sleep,  but  great  joyousness.  The  following  day 
and  night  of  the  seventh  was  but  a  repetition  of 
those  of  the  sixth ;  and  on  Wednesday  morning 
every  regiment  was  on  board  except  the  Sixth 
New  Hampshire,  which  arrived  late  on  the  night 
of  the  seventh,  and  was  on  the  next  morning 
embarked.  The  scene  in  the  harbor  was  inspiring 


12 


THE  BURNSIDE  EXPEDITION. 


beyond  description.  The  vessels,  as  they  passed 
each  other  from  time  to  time,  saluted  each  other 
with  their  steam  whistles,  while  the  bands  played 
and  the  troops  cheered,  the  decks  being  covered 
with  blue-coats,  some  chattering,  some  sleeping, 
others  writing  their  last  letters  to  their  loved  ones 
at  home.  The  whole  fleet  seemed  to  be  under  a 
mixed  influence  of  excitement  and  contentment. 

On  the  morning  of  the  ninth,  each  vessel  set  sail, 
under  orders  to  rendezvous  at  Fortress  Monroe. 
Nothing  of  importance  occurred  as  they  passed  down 
the  bay.  The  trip  was  made  without  much  regulari¬ 
ty  as  to  the  order  of  the  vessels,  but  rather  in  a  go- 
as-you-please  way.  By  the  night  of  the  tenth,  all 
the  vessels  had  joined  the  supply  and  other  vessels 
which  were  concentrated  at  Fortress  Monroe,  mak¬ 
ing  altogether  a  fleet  of  more  than  eighty  vessels. 
The  harbor  probably  never  presented  a  finer  appear¬ 
ance  than  on  that  night.  All  the  vessels  were  illu¬ 
minated,  and  the  air  was  filled  with  the  strains  of 
martial  music  and  the  voices  of  the  brave  men  who 
had  left  their  homes  to  battle  for  the  preservation  of 
the  authority  of  the  government.  Not  a  man  in  the 


THE  BURNSIDE  EXPEDITION. 


13 


fleet  knew  his  destination  except  myself,  the  brigade 
commanders  and  two  or  three  staff  officers,  yet  there 
was  no  complaint  or  inquisitiveness,  but  all  seemed 
ready  for  whatever  duty  was  before  them. 

Sealed  orders  were  given  to  the  commanders  of 
each  vessel,  to  be  opened  at  sea.  Much  discourage¬ 
ment  was  expressed  by  nautical  men  and  by  men 
high  in  military  authority  as  to  the  success  of  the 
expedition.  The  President  and  General  McClellan 
were  both  approached,  and  the  President  was  fre¬ 
quently  warned  that  the  vessels  were  unfit  for  sea, 
and  that  the  expedition  would  be  a  total  failure. 
Great  anxiety  was  manifested  to  know  its  destina¬ 
tion,  but  the  secret  had  been  well  kept  in  Washing¬ 
ton  and  at  our  headquarters.  As  Mr.  Lincoln  after¬ 
wards  told  me,  a  public  man  was  very  importunate, 
and,  in  fact,  almost  demanded  that  the  President 
should  tell  him  where  we  were  going.  Finally,  the 
President  said  to  him,  "Now  I  will  tell  you  in  great 
confidence  where  they  are  going,  if  you  will  prom¬ 
ise  not  to  speak  of  it  to  any  one.”  The  promise 
was  given,  and  Mr.  Lincoln  said,  "Well,  now,  my 
friend,  the  expedition  is  going  to  sea.”  The  inquir- 
2 


14 


THE  BURNSIDE  EXPEDITION. 


er  left  him  without  receiving  any  further  informa¬ 
tion.  In  this  jocular  manner  Mr.  Lincoln  was  in  the 
habit  of  throwing  off  the  cares  of  state  ;  and  it  often 
occurs  to  me,  that  but  for  that  habit  he  would  have 
broken  down  under  the  great  weight  of  public  re¬ 
sponsibility  which  rested  upon  him  from  the  first 
day  of  the  war  to  the  termination  of  his  noble  life. 
No  man  has  ever  lived,  in  my  opinion,  who  could 
have  gone  through  that  struggle  as  he  did.  At  no 
period  of  his  life  did  I  believe  his  heart  was  ever 
stirred  with  a  feeling  of  enmity  or  resentment  against 
any  one.  He  was  actuated  by  the  simple  desire 
and  determination  to  maintain  the  authority  of  the 
government  at  all  hazards. 

On  the  night  of  the  eleventh  the  signal  for  sailing 
was  given,  and  very  soon  the  fleet  was  under  way. 
My  headquarters  were  on  board  a  large  steamer,  the 
" George  Peabody,”  but  I  took  for  my  headquarters 
during  the  voyage  a  small  propeller  called  the  "Pick¬ 
et,”  which  was  in  reality  the  smallest  vessel  in  the 
fleet,  and  had  with  me  two  or  three  of  my  staff  offi¬ 
cers.  I  was  moved  to  do  this  because  of  the  great 
criticism  which  had  been  made  as  to  the  unseawor- 


THE  BURNSIDE  EXPEDITION. 


15 


thiness  of  the  vessels  of  the  fleet,  and  because  of  a 
desire  to  show  to  the  men  my  faith  in  their  adapta¬ 
bility  to  the  service.  Their  weaknesses  were  known 
to  me,  but  they  were  the  best  that  could  be  pro¬ 
cured,  and  it  was  necessary  that  the  service  should 
be  performed  even  at  the  risk  of  losing  lives  by 
shipwreck.  The  weather  was  threatening,  but  I  did 
not  foresee  the  storm  by  which  we  were  afterwards 
overtaken.  At  that  time  we  had  no  weather  signal 
reports,  but  the  sailing  would  not  have  been  delayed 
in  any  event,  because  the  orders  to  proceed  to  our 
work  were  imperative.  It  was,  of  course,  learned  by 
all,  after  reaching  the  sea,  that  the  destination  of  the 
fleet  was  Hatteras  Inlet. 

Just  before  midnight  the  "Picket”  weighed  an¬ 
chor,  and  we  were  soon  at  sea,  and  it  was  not  long 
before  the  little  vessel  was  called  upon  to  test  her 
sea-going  ability.  On  rounding  Cape  Hatteras  we 
met  a  very  strong  breeze,  and  the  little  vessel  got 
into  the  trough  of  the  sea.  It  seemed  for  a  time  as 
if  she  would  surely  be  swamped  ;  but  by  skillful 
management  the  captain  brought  her  head  to,  after 
which  she  behaved  better.  We  passed  a  most  un- 


16 


THE  BURNSIDE  EXPEDITION. 


comfortable  night.  Everything  on  the  deck  that 
was  not  lashed  was  swept  overboard  ;  and  the  men, 
furniture  and  crockery  below  decks  were  thrown 
about  iu  a  most  promiscuous  manner.  The  breeze 
died  away  towards  morning,  soon  after  which  a 
heavy  fog  arose  and  continued  the  greater  part  of 
the  day.  The  ocean’s  swell  during  the  day,  which 
was  something  terrible,  kept  one  in  constant  thought 
that  the  little  vessel  was  in  momentary  danger  of 
going  under. 

Towards  night  the  wind  arose,  and  within  a  short 
time  it  increased  to  a  terrible  gale,  and  we  experi¬ 
enced  on  that  night  more  discomfort  and  dread,  if 
possible,  than  on  the  preceding  one.  At  times,  it 
seemed  as  if  the  waves,  which  appeared  to  us  moun¬ 
tain  high,  would  engulf  us,  but  then  the  little  vessel 
would  ride  them  and  stagger  forward  in  her  course. 
The  great  trouble,  the  captain  said,  was  to  keep  her 
head  to  the  wind,  but  his  presence  of  mind  never 
seemed  to  leave  him  for  a  moment,  and  every  instant 
of  our  extreme  danger  from  time  to  time  would  be  fol¬ 
lowed  by  a  demonstration  of  his  ability  to  keep  his 
vessel  above  water. 


THE  BUKNSIDE  EXPEDITION. 


17 


The  fog  had  hidden  from  us  the  fleet  during  the 
day  before,  (the  twelfth,)  but  at  about  midnight  we 
discovered  a  large  steamer  upon  our  port  bow.  We 
fired  a  shot  astern  of  her,  which  she  answered  by 
coming  near  to  us.  It  was  the  "Eastern  Queen  ” ; 
but  we  dared  not  go  too  near  to  her  for  fear  of  being 
crushed.  She  seemed  to  us  a  mammoth,  and  we 
were  all  delighted  when  she  answered  the  signal  to 
lay  by  us  until  daylight,  but  to  keep  off.  In  the 
morning  more  vessels  were  found  to  be  in  sight,  and 
just  before  noon  of  the  thirteenth,  we  hove  to,  off 
Hatteras  Inlet.  Soon  after,  a  tug-boat  came  out 
from  the  Inlet,  which,  it  will  be  remembered,  had 
been  occupied  by  General  Butler  and  Commodore 
Stringham.  The  little  boat  undertook  to  do  the  duty 
of  piloting  the  fleet  over  the  bar.  The  " Picket  ” 
led  the  way,  and  bravely  fought  the  breakers  until 
she  was  safely  anchored  inside  the  harbor. 

In  thinking  of  it  now,  it  seems  almost  miraculous 
that  she  escaped  the  great  dangers  through  which 
she  passed  at  sea,  and  the  still  greater  danger  of  the 
breakers  on  the  bar.  Vessel  after  vessel  followed 
us  in,  until  we  were  ready  to  wish  that  the  fleet  were 


18 


THE  BURNSIDE  EXPEDITION. 


not  so  large.  At  one  time  it  seemed  as  if  our  little 
boat  would  be  crushed  between  two  of  the  larger 
vessels  which  had  dragged  their  anchors  and  were 
coming  down  upon  her.  Fortunately,  the  com¬ 
manders  of  the  vessels  succeeded  in  checking  them 
just  as  they  came  in  contact  with  us.  Most  of  the 
fleet  arrived  inside  the  bar  during  the  afternoon. 

The  propeller,  "The  City  of  New  York,”  which 
was  laden  with  supplies  and  ordnance  stores,  ground¬ 
ed  on  the  bar,  and  proved  a  total  loss.  Her  officers 
and  crew  clung  to  the  rigging  until  the  next  day, 
when  they  were  rescued  by  surf-boats  sent  to  their 
assistance.  One  of  the  troop  vessels  also  grounded 
on  the  bar,  after  nightfall,  and  it  seemed  for  a  time 
as  if  she  and  her  precious  cargo  would  be  lost. 
Some  gallant  volunteers  went  to  her  relief  with  a 
tug-boat,  which  succeded  in  getting  her  off  the  bar 
and  into  the  harbor.  The  water  and  coal  vessels  did 
not  approach  the  Inlet,  but  went  to  sea  as  a  matter 
of  safety. 

Such  of  the  vessels  as  were  of  too  heavy  draught 
to  pass  over  the  bar,  anchored  under  the  cape. 
From  one  of  these  vessels,  two  officers,  Colonel  Al- 


THE  BURNSIDE  EXPEDITION. 


19 


len  and  Sergeant  Weller,  of  the  Ninth  New  Jersey, 
started  in  a  surf-boat  to  report  to  me.  They  suc¬ 
ceeded  in  reaching  my  headquarters,  but  on  their  re¬ 
turn  the  boat  was  swamped  by  the  breakers  on  the 
bar,  and  they  were  lost.  The  crew,  who  were  more 
skilled  in  such  service,  clung  to  the  boat  and  were 
rescued.  Strange  to  say,  these  were  the  only  two 
lives  lost  during  the  entire  voyage  and  entrance  into 
the  Inlet,  notwithstanding  the  gloomy  prognostica¬ 
tions  touching  the  seaworthiness  of  the  vessels  of  the 
fleet. 

Besides  the  propeller,  "The  City  of  New  York,” 
before  spoken  of,  we  lost  the  ship  "Pocahontas,” 
with  over  a  hundred  horses  on  board.  The  gunboat 
"Zouave”  was  sunk  in  the  Inlet  after  she  crossed  the 
bar,  and  proved  a  total  loss,  but  no  lives  were  lost. 

From  the  fourteenth  until  the  twenty- sixth  we 
had  terrific  weather,  and  it  required  the  utmost  care 
on  the  part  of  the  commanders  of  the  vessels  to  pre¬ 
vent  a  general  disaster.  Many  of  the  vessels  were 
driven  from  their  anchors  and  grounded  on  the 
swash  and  bar.  Many  collisions  occurred,  which 
caused  great  damage  to  the  fleet.  At  times  it  seemed 


20 


THE  BURNSIDE  EXPEDITION. 


as  if  nothing  could  prevent  general  disaster.  As  I 
before  said,  the  water  and  most  of  the  coal  vessels 
were  driven  to  sea  by  the  stress  of  the  weather,  and 
the  entire  fleet  was  for  many  days  on  short  rations  of 
water.  Much  suffering  resulted  from  this,  and  at 
one  time  a  flag  of  distress  was  hoisted  on  many  of 
the  vessels  in  consequence  of  the  want  of  water. 

On  one  of  these  dreary  days  I  for  a  time  gave  up 
all  hope,  and  walked  to  the  bow  of  the  vessel  that  I 
might  be  alone.  Soon  after,  a  small,  black  cloud 
appeared  in  the  angry  gray  sky,  just  above  the  hori¬ 
zon,  and  very  soon  spread  so  as  to  cover  the  entire 
canopy ;  and  in  a  few  moments  after,  a  most  copious 
fall  of  rain  came  to  our  relief.  Signals  were  given 
to  spread  sails  to  catch  the  water,  and  in  a  short 
time  an  abundance  was  secured  for  the  entire  fleet. 
I  was  at  once  cheered  up,  but  very  much  ashamed 
of  the  distrust  which  I  had  allowed  to  get  the  mas¬ 
ter  of  me. 

To  go  into  a  detailed  description  of  all  that  we 
suffered  during  those  terrible  days  would  require  more 
time  than  I  can  give  to  this  paper.  From  time  to 
time  we  made  efforts  to  cross  the  fleet  from  the  In- 


THE  BURNSIDE  EXPEDITION. 


21 


let  into  Pamlico  Sound,  over  what  was  called  the 
swash,  which  separated  it  from  the  Inlet.  We  had 
been  led  to  believe  that  there  were  eight  feet  of 
water  upon  the  swash,  but  when  we  arrived  we  dis¬ 
covered  to  our  sorrow  that  there  were  but  six  feet ; 
and  as  most  of  our  vessels,  as  well  as  the  vessels  of 
the  naval  fleet  which  we  found  at  Hatteras  Inlet  on 
our  arrival,  drew  more  water  than  that,  it  was  neces¬ 
sary  to  deepen  the  channel  by  some  process.  The 
current  was  very  swift  upon  the  swash,  which  cir¬ 
cumstance  proved  to  be  much  in  our  favor.  Large 
vessels  were  used  in  going  ahead,  under  full  steam, 
on  the  bar  when  the  tide  was  running  out,  and  then 
anchors  were  carried  out  by  boats  in  advance,  so  as 
to  hold  the  vessels  in  position.  The  swift  current 
would  wash  the  sand  from  under  them  and  allow 
them  to  float,  after  which  they  were  driven  further 
on  by  steam  and  anchored  again,  when  the  sand 
would  again  wash  out  from  under  them,  and  so  on 
the  process  was  continued  for  days,  until  a  broad 
channel  of  over  eight  feet  was  made,  deep  enough 
to  allow  the  passage  of  the  fleet  into  the  sound. 

On  the  twenty-sixth,  one  of  our  largest  steamers 


22 


THE  BURNSIDE  EXPEDITION. 


got  safely  over  the  swash  and  anchored  in  the 
sound,  where  some  of  the  gunboats  had  preceded 
them.  By  the  fourth  of  February  the  entire  fleet 
had  anchored  and  had  passed  into  the  sound,  and 
orders  were  given  for  the  advance  on  Roanoke  Isl¬ 
and.  Detailed  instructions  were  given  for  the  land¬ 
ing  of  the  troops  and  the  mode  of  attack. 

At  an  early  hour  on  the  morning  of  the  fifth  the 
start  was  made.  The  naval  vessels,  under  Commo¬ 
dore  Goldsborough,  were  in  advance  and  on  the 
flanks.  The  sailing  vessels  containing  troops  were 
taken  in  tow  by  steamers.  There  were  in  all  sixty- 
five  vessels.  The  fleet  presented  a  most  imposing 
appearance  as  they  started  up  the  sound.  The  day 
was  most  beautiful,  and  the  sail  was  enjoyed  beyond 
measure  by  the  soldiers,  who  had  been  so  long 
penned  up  in  the  desolate  Inlet.  At  sundown,  sig¬ 
nal  was  given  to  come  to  anchor  within  ten  miles  of 
Roanoke  Island.  At  eight  o’clock  the  next  morning 
the  sigual  to  weigh  anchor  was  given,  but  our 
progress  was  very  much  retarded  by  a  gale  that 
sprung  up,  so  we  anchored,  but  very  little  in  ad¬ 
vance  of  our  position  of  the  night  before.  During 


THE  BURNSIDE  EXPEDITION. 


23 


that  night  all  lights  were  carefully  concealed.  The 
naval  vessels  were  well  out  in  advance  to  protect  the 
transports  from  the  inroads  of  the  rebel  gunboats. 

On  the  morning  of  the  seventh  the  gunboats 
passed  inside  the  narrow  passage  known  as  Roanoke 
Inlet,  and  were  soon  abreast  of  the  lower  part  of 
Roanoke  Island.  Soon  after  the  naval  fleet  had 
passed  through,  the  transport  fleet  began  its  pas¬ 
sage.  The  rebel  gunboats  were  seen  close  in  shore 
under  the  batteries  of  the  island.  At  half-past  ten 
o’clock  a  signal  gun  was  fired  from  one  of  the  forts, 
announcing  our  approach.  At  half-past  eleven,  one 
of  the  naval  vessels  opened  fire,  which  was  replied 
to  by  the  rebels.  Signals  were  given  by  the  com¬ 
modore  of  the  fleet  to  begin  the  action,  and  by  noon 
the  firing  became  rapid,  and  soon  alter  the  engage¬ 
ment  became  general.  The  rebels  had  driven  a  line 
of  piles  across  the  main  channel  to  obstruct  the  prog¬ 
ress  of  our  vessels,  leaving  a  narrow  space  for  them 
to  retreat  through,  and  as  our  naval  vessels  pressed 
them  they  availed  themselves  of  this  means  of  safe¬ 
ty.  Our  guns  soon  got  the  range  of  their  batteries, 
and  by  most  extraordinary  skill  and  rapidity  of  fir- 


24 


THE  BURNSIDE  EXPEDITION. 


ing,  almost  silenced  them.  I  ordered  a  reconnois- 
sance,  just  before  noon,  by  a  small  boat,  with  a  view 
of  ascertaining  a  point  of  landing.  A  young  negro, 
who  had  escaped  from  the  island  on  our  arrival  at 
Hatteras  Inlet,  had  given  me  most  valuable  informa¬ 
tion  as  to  the  nature  of  the  shore  of  the  island,  from 
which  I  had  determined  that  our  point  of  landing 
would  be  at  Ashby’s  Harbor,  which  was  nearly  mid¬ 
way  up  the  shore.  The  reconnoitering  party  was 
accompanied  by  this  young  negro,  and  all  that  he 
had  told  us  proved  to  be  correct,  so  that  I  directed 
the  landing  to  be  made  there. 

At  one  o’clock,  the  quarters  of  the  garrison  in  one 
of  the  forts  were  fired  by  one  of  our  shells.  The 
rebel  gunboats  retired  up  the  sound,  but  still  contin¬ 
ued  a  brisk  fire  as  they  were  followed  by  our  ves¬ 
sels.  Orders  were  given  for  the  troops  to  land  at 
three  o’clock.  The  ground  in  the  rear  of  Ashby’s 
Harbor  was  cleared  by  shells  from  the  naval  vessels, 
and  our  large  surf-boats  were  lowered,  rapidly  filled 
with  troops  and  towed  up  in  long  lines  by  light- 
draught  vessels  until  they  came  near  to  the  shore  of 
the  harbor,  when  each  of  the  surf-boats  was  cut  loose 


THE  BURNSIDE  EXPEDITION. 


25 


and  steered  for  the  shore.  There  was  no  obstruc¬ 
tion  to  their  landing.  In  less  than  an  hour  four 
thousand  troops  were  ashore,  and  before  midnight 
the  entire  force  was  landed,  with  the  exception  of 
one  regiment,  which  was  landed  on  the  morning  of 
the  eighth. 

I  will  not  go  into  a  description  of  the  island  and 
its  fortifications,  because  it  has  been  so  well  de¬ 
scribed  in  books  which  are  entirely  familiar  to  all  of 
you.  It  is  enough  to  say  that  the  advance  of  our 
troops  was  ordered  on  the  morning  of  the  eighth — 
General  Foster  being  in  the  advance  and  centre, 
General  Reno  on  the  left,  and  General  Parke  on  the 
right. 

Just  above  Ashby’s  Harbor,  the  island  from  shore  to 
shore  was  marshy,  swampy  ground.  A  causeway  had 
been  built  up  the  centre  of  the  island,  and  on  this, 
about  one  mile  and  a  half  from  the  harbor,  was  a 
fort,  which  was  flanked  by  what  seemed  to  be  impas¬ 
sable  ground,  but  it  did  not  prove  to  be  so  to  our 
troops.  General  Foster  pressed  the  rebels  in  front, 
General  Reno  passed  around  the  left  with  his  brig¬ 
ade,  often  waist  deep  in  marsh,  through  most  irnpen- 
3 


26 


THE  BURNSIDE  EXPEDITION. 


etrable  thickets,  until  he  gained  the  right  flank  of 
the  enemy’s  line.  General  Parke  performed  equally 
good  service  on  the  right,  and  after  advantageous 
positions  had  been  obtained,  the  work  was  carried  by 
a  simultaneous  assault,  and  there  was  no  hindrance 
from  that  time  to  the  march  of  our  troops  to  the 
head  of  the  island  and  to  the  forts  on  the  shore, 
where  the  entire  garrison  was  captured. 

The  naval  fleet  pursued  the  rebel  gunboats,  nearly 
all  of  which,  however,  were  destroyed  by  their 
crews,  to  prevent  capture. 

The  results  of  this  important  victory  were  great, 
particularly  in  inspiring  the  confidence  of  the  country 
in  the  efficiency  of  their  armies  in  the  field. 

The  troops  enjoyed  their  rest  at  Roauoke  Island, 
but  were  not  allowed  to  remain  idle  long.  On  the 
twenty-sixth  of  February,  orders  were  given  to 
make  arrangements  to  embark  for  New  Berne,  and 
within  four  days  they  were  all  on  board. 

On  the  twelfth  of  March,  the  entire  command  was 
anchored  off  the  mouth  of  Slocum’s  Creek,  and  about 
fourteen  miles  from  New  Berne.  The  approach  to 
the  city  had  been  obstructed  by  piles  and  sunken 


THE  BURNSIDE  EXPEDITION. 


27 


vessels.  About  four  miles  from  New  Berne  a  large 
fort  on  the  shore  had  been  built,  with  a  heavy  arma¬ 
ment,  and  a  line  of  earthworks  extended  from  the 
fort  inland,  a  distance  of  some  two  miles,  where  it 
ended  in  almost  impassable  ground. 

On  the  night  of  the  twelfth,  orders  were  given  for 
landing,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  thirteenth  the 
troops  were  put  ashore,  in  very  much  the  same  way 
that  they  were  at  Roanoke.  By  one  o’clock  the  de¬ 
barkation  was  finished,  and  the  troops  were  put  in 
line  of  march.  About  this  time  the  rain  began  to 
fall,  and  the  road  became  almost  impassable.  No 
ammunition  could  be  carried  except  what  the  men 
could  carry  themselves.  No  artillery  could  be  taken 
except  the  small  howitzers,  which  were  hauled  by 
the  troops  with  drag  ropes.  This  was  one  of  the  most 
disagreeable  and  difficult  marches  that  I  witnessed 
during  the  war.  We  came  in  contact  with  the  ene¬ 
my’s  pickets  just  before  dark,  when  it  was  decided 
to  delay  the  attack  until  morning.  A  most  dreary 
bivouac  followed  that  night.  Early  the  next  morn¬ 
ing,  notwithstanding  the  fog,  the  disposition  for  the 
attack  was  made.  General  Foster  was  ordered  to 


28 


THE  BURNSIDE  EXPEDITION. 


engage  the  enemy  on  the  right,  General  Reno  to 
pass  around  on  the  extreme  left,  and  General  Parke 
to  occupy  the  centre.  We  were  much  nearer  to  the 
enemy  than  we  expected,  and  were  soon  in  contact 
with  them.  General  Foster  rapidly  closed  with 
them,  and  met  with  severe  resistance.  He  asked 
for  reinforcements,  but  was  told  that  every  man  had 
been  ordered  into  action,  and  that  there  were  no  re¬ 
serves.  The  contest  was  sharp,  but  brief.  The  Fourth 
Rhode  Island  broke  the  enemy’s  line  near  where  it 
crossed  the  railroad,  after  which  the  enemy  wavered, 
and  a  general  advance  of  our  whole  line  placed  us 
in  possession  of  the  works.  The  enemy  fled  to  New 
Berne,  burning  the  bridge  behind  them.  Our  troops 
rapidly  pursued,  but  the  fact  that  they  had  to  cross 
the  river  in  boats,  prevented  them  from  capturing 
the  main  body  of  the  enemy.  As  it  was,  large  num¬ 
bers  of  prisoners  and  armament  fell  into  our  hands. 

In  the  meantime,  the  naval  vessels  had  worked 
their  way  up  to  the  city,  and  aided  in  the  transpor¬ 
tation  of  the  troops  across,  and  New  Berne  was  oc¬ 
cupied  on  the  afternoon  of  the  fourteenth. 

It  still  remained  for  us  to  reduce  Fort  Macon.  To 


THE  BURNSIDE  EXPEDITION. 


29 


this  work  General  Parke’s  brigade  was  ordered. 
The  country  between  New  Berne  and  Beaufort  was 
immediately  occupied,  and  a  passage  by  hand- car 
was  made  between  the  two  places,  all  the  rolling 
stock  having  been  run  off  the  road.  By  the  morn¬ 
ing  of  the  eleventh  of  April,  regular  siege  opera¬ 
tions  had  been  begun  by  General  Parke,  and  were 
pressed  rapidly  forward,  and  by  the  twenty-sixth  of 
April  the  garrison  at  Beaufort  had  been  forced  to 
surrender. 

Thus  another  victory  was  to  be  inscribed  upon  our 
banner.  The  Khode  Island  troops  bore  the  most 
honorable  part  in  this  conflict.  After  that,  several 
small  expeditions  were  sent  into  the  interior  of  the 
country,  all  of  which  were  successful. 

Much  to  my  sorrow,  on  the  third  of  the  following 
July,  I  was  ordered  to  go  to  the  Peninsula  to  consult 
with  General  McClellan,  and  after  that  my  duties  as 
commanding  officer  in  North  Carolina  ended,  but  a 
large  proportion  of  the  troops  of  the  expedition 
served  under  me  during  the  remainder  of  the  war, 
as  members  of  the  gallant  Ninth  Corps. 

The  Burnside  expedition  has  passed  into  history  ; 


30 


THE  BURNSIDE  EXPEDITION. 


its  record  we  can  be  proud  of.  No  body  of  troops 
ever  had  more  difficulties  to  overcome  in  the  same 
space  of  time.  Its  perils  were  both  by  land  and 
water.  Defeat  never  befell  it.  No  gun  was  lost 
by  it.  Its  experience  was  a  succession  of  honora¬ 
ble  victories. 


THE  BURNSIDE  EXPEDITION. 


31 


GENERAL  McCLELLAN’S  ORDER. 


Headquarters  of  the  Army, 

Washington,  January  7,  1862. 

Brigadier-General  Ambrose  E.  Burnside, 

Commanding  Expedition : 

General  :  In  accordance  with  verbal  instructions  heretofore 
given  you,  you  will,  after  uniting  with  Flag-Officer  Goldsbo- 
rough  at  Fort  Monroe,  proceed  under  his  convoy  to  Hatteras  In¬ 
let,  when  you  will  in  connection  with  him  take  the  most  prompt 
measures  for  crossing  the  fleet  into  the  “  bulkhead  ”  into  the 
waters  of  the  sound.  Under  the  accompanying  general  order, 
constituting  the  Department  of  North  Carolina,  you  will  assume 
the  command  of  the  garrison  at  Hatteras  Inlet,  and  make  such 
dispositions  in  regard  to  that  place  as  your  ulterior  operations 
may  render  necessary,  always  being  careful  to  provide  for  the 
safety  of  that  very  important  station  in  any  contingency. 

Your  first  point  of  attack  will  be  Roanoke  Island  and  its  de¬ 
pendencies.  It  is  presumed  that  the  navy  can  reduce  the  bat¬ 
teries  on  the  marshes  and  cover  the  landing  of  your  troops  on 
the  main  island,  by  which,  in  connection  with  a  rapid  movement 
of  the  gunboats  to  the  northern  extremity  as  soon  as  the  marsh 
battery  is  reduced,  it  may  be  hoped  to  capture  the  entire  garri¬ 
son  of  the  place. 


32 


THE  BURNSIDE  EXPEDITION. 


Having  occupied  the  island  and  its  dependencies  you  will  at 
once  proceed  to  the  erection  of  the  batteries  and  defences  neces¬ 
sary  to  hold  the  position  with  a  small  force.  Should  the  flag- 
officer  require  any  assistance  iu  seizing  or  holding  the  debouches 
of  the  canals  from  Norfolk,  you  will  please  afford  it  to  him. 

The  Commodore  and  yourself  having  completed  your  arrange¬ 
ments  in  regard  to  Roanoke  Island  and  the  waters  north  of  it, 
you  will  please  at  once  make  a  descent  upon  New  Berne,  having 
gained  possession  of  which  and  the  railroad  passing  through  it 
you  will  at  once  throw  a  sufficient  force  upon  Beaufort,  and  take 
the  steps  necessary  to  reduce  Fort  Macon  and  open  that  port. 
When  you  seize  New  Berne  you  will  endeavor  to  seize  the  rail¬ 
road  as  far  west  as  Goklsborough,  should  circumstances  favor 
such  a  movement.  The  temper  of  the  people,  the  rebel  force  at 
hand,  &c.,  will  go  far  toward  determining  the  question  as  to 
how  far  west  the  railroad  can  be  safely  occupied  and  held. 
Should  circumstances  render  it  advisable  to  seize  and  hold  Ra¬ 
leigh,  the  main  north  and  south  line  of  railroad  passing  through 
Goldsborough  should  be  so  effectually  destroyed  for  considera¬ 
ble  distances  north  and  south  of  that  point  as  to  render  it  im¬ 
possible  for  the  rebels  to  use  it  to  your  disadvantage.  A  great 
point  would  be  gained  in  any  event  by  the  effectual  destruction 
of  the  Wilmington  and  Weldon  Railroad. 

I  would  advise  great  caution  in  moving  so  far  into  the  interior 
as  upon  Raleigh.  Having  accomplished  the  objects  mentioned, 
the  next  point  of  interest  would  probably  be  Wilmington,  the 
reduction  of  which  may  require  that  additional  means  shall  be 
afforded  you.  I  would  urge  great  caution  in  regard  to  procla- 


THE  BURNSIDE  EXPEDITION. 


33 


mation.  In  no  case  would  I  go  beyond  a  moderate  joint  procla¬ 
mation  with  the  naval  commander,  which  should  say  as  little  as 
possible  about  politics  or  the  negro.  Merely  state  that  the  true 
issue  for  which  we  are  fighting  is  the  preservation  of  the  Union 
and  upholding  the  laws  of  the  General  Government,  and  stating 
that  all  who  conduct  themselves  properly  will  as  far  as  possible 
be  protected  in  their  persons  and  property. 

You  will  please  report  your  operations  as  often  as  an  oppor¬ 
tunity  offers  itself. 

With  my  best  wishesfor  your  success,  I  am.  &c., 

Geo.  B.  McClellan, 

Major-  General,  Commanding -in-  Chief. 

P.  S. — Any  prisoners  you  take  should  be  sent  to  the  most  con¬ 
venient  Northern  post.  You  can,  however,  exchange  any  of 
them  for  any  of  your  own  men  who  may  be  taken. 


